


Play It Again, Sam

by TheAngstLord



Series: Love Like Yours [7]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:41:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24369784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAngstLord/pseuds/TheAngstLord
Summary: Muriel sees color for the first time, but then loses it as quickly as it came.
Relationships: Apprentice & Muriel (The Arcana), Apprentice/Muriel (The Arcana), Muriel (The Arcana)/Original Character(s), Muriel (The Arcana)/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Love Like Yours [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1759381
Kudos: 26





	Play It Again, Sam

**Author's Note:**

> Love Like Yours Fest Day 7

Headache. Headache. Headache. It was all way too loud.

The people that would pass by were always interesting to Muriel though. The clothes they wear, the way they talked...the way they would look at him. Every reaction was different.

People watching was his only form of entertainment as an orphan. Their facial structures, the shape of their eyes, their gestures, he paid attention to them all.

But he couldn’t see color.

Every article of clothing the people wear were always black, white, and many forms of grey. That’s all he could see.

Asra always said only 20% of people had this condition, and all he needed was to find a soulmate.

Soulmates were a thing in their world. If it wasn’t them seeing color for the first time, it was the glow of their chest. Sometimes Muriel is thankful that his chest would never glow...what if the feeling is unpleasant? Asra said his parents always described it as butterflies in your stomach and chest, but that only gave Muriel the idea of nausea. The idea of sickness, and unbearable dread.

Asra attempted to describe color to him before, but said it was incredibly hard. There wasn’t a true way to explain it. So instead, he tried to describe it through feeling.

“Okay, so, blue is kinda like....feeling very cold, and sad.” Asra says, making extra dramatic gestures with his hands.

The two children were currently under the dock in their secret hiding place, where they could have some privacy. Asra can be as loud as he wants here.

Muriel didn’t seem to mind, staring up at him as he hugged his blanket tighter around his shoulders. “Cold?...”

“Yeah! Sometimes when you’re super cold, the tips of your fingers turn blue! That means a really bad thing...I think it’s called...Hypothodia?”

“...Hypothermia?...”

“Yeah! That’s the one!”

Muriel looks down at his hands and fingers, brow furrowing.

“Don’t worry! You’ll be aaaaall cozy in here!” He says, smiling bright.

He slowly looks back up at him, still moving to cover himself more in his blanket. “.....okay.”

“So red is like…” He suddenly has a dark look wash over his face. “Lucio.”

He flinches. He hated that name. It scares him to no end. He can still hear the cries of his people, coming to take him. “...Why?”

“Because it’s like….” He tries to find the words, rubbing the back of his neck. “Bad. Dangerous.”

That makes a lot of sense...he decided he hated red, though he’s never seen it before.

“But it’s not completely bad! It also means...passion.”

“Passion?....Isn’t that still...him?”

“Well...it can be…” Asra trails off. He has to change the color now. “Um, Purple!”

Muriel tilts his head, a bit curious. “Pur...ple?”

“Yeah, purple! It’s like the perfect mixture of blue and red! It’s...calm. It’s actually the color of my eyes!”

“I-I see…what color are my eyes?” He asks curiously.

“They’re green! Green is like the earth! It’s good! It’s also the color of your blanket.”

Muriel takes a long breath, taking in the scent of his old blanket, relaxing.

...Maybe green would have been his favorite color.

“Yellow is bright! Happy! Makes you feel warm! That’s also part of your blanket. Orange is a mixture of Red and Yellow, kinda like happy but more of a...subtle way?”

Muriel hums, listening intently.

“I’ll stop there before you get a headache.” He giggles.

Muriel smiles a bit before he freezes, staring at the forest.

I...It’s not grey…

“A-Asra? W-What color are trees?”

“Green- wait, can you see it?!”

He nods shakily, abruptly standing.

“Your soulmate must be nearby! C’mon we have to look for them!” He takes Muriel by the hand and starts dragging him along.

They desperately search everywhere but...nothing.

The color soon fades away, and Muriel’s shoulders slump.

“I’m sorry Muriel…” Asra says, apologetic.

“I...I’m fine…”

He wasn’t fine. How could he be?...But he had to be stronger, for his best friend…

Muriel was practically laying on his deathbed, laying in a pool of his own blood before the ghostly goat above him. Is this it? Is this how it ends? He will never see color again…he wouldn’t-

There was a sudden blast of magic from afar, sending Lucio reeling back with a screech.

A man sprinted through, attacking Lucio with all his might. He was merciless with him.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Lucio retreated back into the forest like the coward he was. He would not come back anytime soon.

Finally...they made eye contact.

Muriel’s world exploded in color. Asra had described them many times before throughout their childhood but nothing could be compared to what he has seen right now. The colors were absolutely beautiful. He’s never seen anything like it in his life.

The other man felt the same, standing around the forest and awe.

So they both quickly snap out of it when Muriel felt the pain and the other man noticed.

“You’re hurt...let me carry you? You can’t walk like this…”

“I-I’m fine-“ He hisses in pain. “....fine.”

The man picks him up with ease, and he runs all the way back to Muriel’s hut.

This...was his soulmate?

His life was about to be much more interesting.


End file.
